Woot! Woot! Woot! I get to give you a sneak peak of the the upcoming SOM group giftfrom Djinn & Tonic Home. The fully furnished cottage is so packed full of details, you will only be seeing a bit -- even though I went into overload with my camera. At 225 prims complete, it may not fit into your prim budget, but wait! Many of the accessory groups come separately, so you can add your favorites to your existing house. Another option would be to use the house and a few of the furnishings. There ARE choices and there is always tomorrow when you might be prim rich.

And for those of you with prims to spare, there are a few corners left for your favorite goodies. The house comes complete with a decorated loft bed - lounging area. There are poses on each end of the platform as well as a really cute one that has you laying on the support beam.

And speaking of poses, all but the lounging pose are from the new Natya set from Diesel Works. I LOVE THESE!!!! This is by far my favorite set. They are fun and carefree and different. I didn't even make it though the whole collection - LOL, I took so many photos as I tried out poses. My comfy unisex hanging at home outfit is from - funkstar - and my new Bo Derek locks are from Alli&Ali (XStreet Dollarbie).

This Count the Hours cottage is all about color and personal expression. It will be available to the Djinn & Tonic subscribo group at 10PM SLT on August 1, 2010. Join the group to receive it - if you happen to miss the distribution, it will be available at the .44 Caliber Mainstore for purchase.

Go forth. Have fun. And ALWAYS celebrate the eclectic!

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So many great things on the feeds this morning! Yeah! It seems like both bloggers and creators have reinvented themselves a bit. Change is frequently difficult but oftentimes needed. I am in there with the changes - new direction folks. And in some ways I am getting back to my roots. Hence this post featuring freebies. I know I have been lazy recently, but I have been out exploring this week -- hopping over to Midnight board calls and finding new locales; all with an eye toward those pretty pictures.

I didn't get a lot of perusing in this morning before I came on thisfun post. I zipped over to BOOM to pick up the tube top and while I was there I found a free pencil and pen set nearby. Note that the pencil would work better -- I am sure -- if I actually had bigger boobs *wink*. Find both on the right hand wall by the black grab bags. My skin is one of two that I picked up last night from the Midnight Boards at F'd Up. I found two new skins on the Midnight Boards this morning and there are three lucky boards to check in the same inner room.

I am very impressed with these free jeans from Ivanka Akina. They are part of a big pack from the freebie wall at the TP point. Two other similar styles of jeans are included as well as prim parts. The top from the set is cute too. Upstairs there are some pretty looking summer tops, and there is a new group gift (currently worn by a model there) if you are in the joining mood. According to the message when you TP in, there will be (perhaps has been) a new group outfit to find each week.

That's my freebie news of the day.

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According to Eingestellt von Schnaeppchen there are more than an alphabet's worth of grid-wide hunts starting in August. Wow! The former "show us the hunt goodies" site will no longer be blogging hunts, this according to an earlier post, so it will be up to other bloggers to do their own legwork. This gives the NEW kids on the block a huge opportunity to shine.

In the olden days (which could be merely months in SL) bloggers did the hunts and blogged their favorites. I put in plenty of hunt hours in the past. I hope to do two or three hunts in August. How far I get will depend on how difficult it is to find the hunt items -- I am not a look for an hour type gal. Also, near the top of my stick to it list, is the ability to bypass a hunt locale where I can't find the prize. And of course, we all want things that we would like to keep.

Additional hunt news on August's scene is a shift to group and pay hunts. Now there have been dollarbie hunts in the past as well as "buy a hud to hunt" gridwides; there may even have been hunts just like we are seeing in August, but if so -- I missed them.

So, newish themes in the mix are pay per item hunts which include The Platinum Hunt (which I mentioned earlier this week), a $10 hunt and the Rad Minds Inc. Hunt which appears to be a smallish $20 hunt. My instincts tell me that $20 is too high for a grab bag you have to hunt for *wink*, but if there is enough press and Flickr promotion with photos, it may work well. I hope to be showing you some items from The Platinum Hunt; at least I sent in my application *wink*.

The second shift in the gridwide hunt scene can be noticed in the Gother Than Thou Hunt which is a SL Group Hunt. This idea intrigued me, so I joined the group on rumor that it might be closed before the hunt. I forgot who posted that, but thank you whoever you are. The Thrifty Goth group is QUITE an adventure. They are a very, very chatty bunch. So be prepared for constant IMs going on. I'm actually liking it and I've TPed over to a couple of Midnight Mania boards today, so you may see me in black and pale soon.

The last hunt on my personal August list is the Sl House and Garden Hunt.It begins August 1, so it is the first for me. Happily, hunts are being staggered, so that helps some. The SLHGH is only for a week.

I've become obsessed with light. Not a bad thing really. No calories are involved; little chance of heartbreak.

I went over to Divato pick up the 5000 member group gift (eight colors of hair, with and without bangs) and fell in love with the environment. So much to see, so many lovely photo opportunities. Unlike some locales, the village seemed to look good in all kinds of light.

Everywhere I looked there were possibilities. It was simply beautiful. Some right clicking and inspecting lead me to Shade Fantasy Outfitters, the maker of the garden cart in the background. There I found some outstanding meadow grass as well as a darling shabby greenhouse. So much to see, there are lots of 1 prim plants with both sound and particles options.

With landmarks safely in my inventory, I'm heading back in to RLLand. For the photographers out there, all pictures were taken in "natural" (default) Windlight settings :D.

My lovely skin is the newest release in the Gina series by Tuli. Find it at The Dressing Room for the next two weeks.

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Now and then the light fills the sky with mysterious pastels. Are they real or imagined? There is no need to decide. Either way we can gaze in wonder at the breathtaking softness of the early morn.

While I am no longer an official Monday Mania blogger, this cute set came my way just as I was putting together a new photo shoot. How could I resist adding it into the mix?

From the notecard:

Cool retro modern livingroom set with a vibrant disco style pattern. The sofa is loaded with poses for 1-4 avatars including 6 new couples cuddles, just touch the sofa to access the sit menu. The two chairs offer 4 adjustable sit poses. The Acrylic flower lamp has a touch on/off function. Also included are an acrylic coffee table and complimenting carpet. Pieces are not linked together. This is a transferrable item. 31 prims all together.

It makes me smile really, lots of events that could be looked at as problems led me back to the Rouge Forrest for this photo. It really doesn't matter how I found myself in ONLY teal jewelry. In the end this is a much better photo than I would have taken if things had gone as planned.

Honestly? This is all you really need to be wearing -- if you are daring enough.

The jewelry set options are enormous with many styles of earrings and two styles of necklaces. The crown comes in two parts with a hud. You can see photos of the matching gown at Vanessinha's blog. A rainbow of color choices vie for your lindens.

More photos of the jewelry including some pieces I didn't show can be seen here.

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Are we having fun yet? Well I am. I hadn't planned a new format, but I so enjoyed the process of getting it all in one shot earlier in the day, that I am continuing the experiment. Not all posts will be "Just One Shot", but let's get real here, as bloggers some of us tend toward narcissism -- in great quantities. I really love the extra challenge of getting the "great" shot, and this one wasn't easy. No rezzing allowed in this sim. The photographers out there in the audience can see the inherent difficulties *wink*.

Olympus is the new release; a unisex jacket, it comes in various styles and colors. You can wear with or without the tee shirt (all on one jacket layer). A slightly sloppy version with the tee shirt tails hanging out is my favorite. You can just barely see the edge of the shirt; it continues its asymmetrical dipping over my cute little "bum" as my surrogate mom used to call it.

There are plenty of fun details including a "F" shaped zipper tab, some raglan sleeve seam contrasting accent colors, and a really nice touch-resize collar. The sets include not only the different styles, but different versions for guys and gals. The band width and shading seem to be the main differences, but my rezzing capability is anything but speedy this eve, so there may be other changes that aren't registering in my short term memory.

I took a return trip over to Potter's Field (SLURL- Previous Blog Post) this afternoon. Sienia Trevellion sent me the lovely Silence outfit that I had admired. A wonderful gift and an outstanding photo op locale -- how could I NOT take a picture. There was no way that I could improve on the post from Kyrie, but I could attempt to make the set my own *wink*. So here is another look at Silence from Lark, taken not far from the vendor amidst the memories of the cemetery.

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I love unisex clothes. They are definitely my style -- or one of them anyway. Chav hasn't been out and about for awhile, so when I read about a new store called Funkstar, I sent him over. The small shop is just down the hill from Iren in a picturesque valley village worth exploring.

This unisex tee shirt is a group gift in the shop. I don't usually join groups to "get stuff", but i really wanted to see if the quality of the goods matched the photos. And I am happy to report the shirt is wonderfully made. Many of those odd little errors that sometimes appear like sleeve seams doing weird things in the back are missing. Yeah! The shirt comes on various layers and can be tucked in. It works just as nicely for gals.

It's been fun getting out and about and seeing some NEW things today.

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Potter's Field opened today. Not a lot of fanfare, I was drawn to visit by a beautiful shot of a Lark mourning dress from Kyrie Source -- a stunning photoblog. I am a giant proponent of fashion venues with theme and style and Potter's Field definitely qualifies. It is a small display; there aren't hundreds of designers there. What it lacks in quantity -- not a big draw for me personally anyway -- it makes up for in depth of experience.

The goods for sale are artfully presented with space between the offerings. A path leads through the cemetery. Darkness and peacefulness reign.

Detours are part of life, and I found myself exploring the richly detailed diner at the landing point.

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Part of my hiatus musings left me with the decision to close Baubles at the end of the Addiction Hunt (Aug 15). I don't plan on any big sales or fanfare, just a quiet coalesced "take" into my inventory. The Summer of Love fair is going on -- how could you miss that? -- and while I opted out of the venue long ago, I did make a jewelry set in the spirit. (Here is the post on my adventures if you missed it.)

You can pick up the complete set or any of the individual pieces for free at Baubles. Find them in a big poster on the wall directly across from the entrance. If you want to tip me, you can be especially nice to someone in the next few days. Say hello to your neighbors, smile at a few strangers on the street, hug a friend or family member or coworker. We can all use a little extra love this summer.

If you journey over to the shop, you might want to look for the hypo needle for the Addiction Hunt. These bangles (both stacked and singles) are inside.

It has been a fun and creative experience.

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A week isn't a hiatus for most people, but for someone who has often made life altering decisions in the blink of an eye -- it is enough. I could have simply posted tomorrow, but so many SL citizens, bloggers and content creators are at a crossroads, I decided to include a little philosophy with my return.

My plan is simple one:

Follow your bliss Flow around the rocksJump into the Vortex and savor the joyous ride

I see a lot of people going through the motions in our virtual world. Old timers are tired; the newness is gone and the spark of discovery and enthusiasm elusive. I was in that crowd. Sometimes we forget that we make choices every minute of every day. We can follow a path that enhances and enriches our lives or we can plod through old territory that we have boxed ourselves into.

All it takes for a new viewpoint is a change of direction.

Chic is dressed in new duds and will be heading out today or tomorrow for an adventure. Stay tuned.

I find myself joining the hiatus crew. Time to reassess. Time perhaps for a new vision.

The bunnies are fed. My hunt prize set. My inventory neat.

And so both Chic and her typist can exit with a light heart if a bit of a sad one. We are very different in many ways, but we do share a love for Phil's Place.

I suspect I will be back. I'm just not sure when or what I might be doing. Or even if I will be writing on this blog again. As a Who Knows present to myself, I dressed in some of my favorite things, grabbed my vintage suitcase and took these photos.

Thanks to everyone and I hope to see you soon.

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We have a rich world of seemingly endless possibilities, but how did we get here? Pixels and computers, software programs and in world building tool are merely implements. It is the imagination of our content creators that forge our environment.

I have been in a quandary of late. I am not alone :D. Should I stay? Should I go? Should I switch gears and try something new? My enthusiasm is waning and the hours logged in world on my personal timeclock minimal. A break doesn't seem like the answer -- even as I note the daily hiatus announcements of my contemporaries.

So what does this all have to do with fashion?

One thought leads to another.

I received a box of review items last night and opened them early this morning. *mUSGo seems to be a newish shop with an owner a bit over a year. The shop is in a small skybox high over the mainland. The prices are very inexpensive. There is a dollabie on the coffee table and you can even pick up the pink version of this outfit as a group gift. It reminded me a lot of my foray into clothing design.

Merchandising has always been an uphill battle in SL. I entered the world after many of the schools had closed. These days a search under educational events returns a short list with most classes having nothing to do with building. How do the new folks learn? True, we seem to have more than enough talented content creators, but penalizing the latecomers to the party seems a little unfair.

My shooting location is Vague which is now build as a bunny ranch. There are cute little shops here too, presumably people just wanting to create and try their hand at SL retail. I don't know that; it is just my imaginings of the morning leading me down this road. Still, it is and interesting journey. If you too are feeling a bit jaded and bored, try a little exploring. Imagine yourself as someone new to the world and see how exciting it can once again be.

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There is a new store in town. If you are a girlie girl -- one that loves lollipops, sugar and spice and PINK-- it is for you. Now there isn't much in the shop yet. Actually there are only four items. Still, it is a different type of marketing and that always interests me.

Everything will be pink and everything will be $10. One of the first items in the shop is a multi-pieced tent sleepover set complete with ice chest, folding chairs with multiple poses and champagne -- well we HAVE to have champagne!

While I am not a particularly girlie girl, I did have a few pink items to choose from in my inventory. I am not sure we can call this a "girls club" look -- unless perhaps the club is based in Las Vegas, but hey, I tried.

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